160 URSINE, OR HOWLING MONKEYS. 



CHAPTER XV. 



Journey across the Llanos, from Aragua to San 

 Fernando. 



Mountains between the Valleys of Aragua and tlie Llanos — Their Geologi- 

 cal Constitution— The Llanos of Caracc-as — Route over the Savanna 

 to the Rio Apure— Cattle and Deer— Vegetation — Calabozo— Gymnoti 

 or Electric Eels— Indian Girl — Alligators and Boas — Arrival at San 

 Fernando de Apure. 



From the chain of mountains which borders the 

 Lake of Valencia towards the south, there stretches 

 in the same direction a vast extent of level land, 

 constituting the llanos or savannas of Caraccas ; 

 and from the cultivated and populous district of 

 Aragua, embellished with mountains and rivers, 

 and teeming with vegetation, one descends into a 

 parched desolate plain, bounded by the horizon. On 

 this route we now accompany our travellers, who 

 on the 6th March left the valleys of Aragua, and 

 keeping along the south-west side of the lake, passed 

 over a rich champaign country covered with cala- 

 bashes, watermelons, and plantains. The rising of 

 the sun was announced by the howling of monkeys, 

 of which they saw numerous bands moving as in 

 procession from one tree to another. These crea- 

 tures (the Simia vrsina) execute their evolutions with 

 singular uniformity. When the boughs of two trees 

 do not touch each other, the leader of the party 

 swings himself by the tail upon the nearest twigs, 

 the rest following in regular succession. The dis- 

 tance to which their ho^vlings may be heard was 

 ascertained by Humboldt to be 1705 yards. The In- 

 dians assert that one always chants as leader of the 

 choir ; and the missionaries say that when a female 



